This invention relates to a sleeve through which a surgical instrument (such as a lipoplasty probe) is inserted into a patient for reducing tissue trauma and fluid loss during surgery, and a device for introducing the sleeve through the skin.
The surgical technique of lipoplasty involves removing unwanted fatty deposits by separating the fat from surrounding tissue and aspirating the fat through a probe. Typically, the probe is inserted through an incision made in the patient's skin into a region of fat located between the skin and the underlying muscle. Some lipoplasty probes are simply manipulated by hand (e.g., using a back-and-forth, thrusting motion) to separate the fat. Other lipoplasty probes are ultrasonically vibrated to create localized tissue separation and frictional heating within the fatty region to melt at least some of the fat and facilitate the fat removal. This latter lipoplasty technique is known as ultrasonically-assisted lipoplasty, or "UAL".
Typically, irrigating fluid is introduced into the fatty region to magnify and separate fat from the surrounding tissues, and to facilitate aspiration of the fat through the probe. The irrigating fluid is usually saline, but other ingredients (such as anesthetics, antibiotics, vasoconstrictors, and/or coagulants) may be added to improve patient comfort, reduce blood loss, and reduce the risk of infection or other complications. Some lipoplasty probes include an outer sheath through which the irrigating fluid is conveyed to the surgical site. Alternatively, in a technique known as "tumescence," large amounts of irrigating fluid are injected into the fatty region prior to (and during) the lipoplasty procedure.